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SKU 743623

Inama Carmenere Oratorio S Lorenzo 2009

Inama
- Veneto
- Italy

Professional Wine Reviews for Inama Carmenere Oratorio S Lorenzo 2009

Rated 93 by Decanter

This is grapy and rich with a blueberry and mineral character. Hints of lavender too. Full to medium body, silky tannins and a clean, fresh finish. Black pepper too. One of the best carmeneres in Europe for me. Drink or hold. (Suckling)

Rated 90 by Wine Spectator

Full of juicy flavors of black cherry, black licorice and macerated plum, this features pencil shavings, smoke, cracked pepper and espresso accents. Expressive without being exuberant. Elegant, with a moderate finish. CarmenÃ¨re. Drink now through 2017. 50 cases imported.

Additional Information on Inama Carmenere Oratorio S Lorenzo 2009

Vintage: 2009

Despite less than ideal climatic conditions, featuring storms which threatened an otherwise perfect year, most parts of California had an excellent year for viticulture. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs were picked at optimum ripeness, and Californian white wine was just about as good as it could be. Surprises and overcoming difficulties summed up much of the United States' wine industry in 2009, and many of the results from Oregon, Washington State and all over California speak for themselves, with the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon grapes having developed healthy, thick skins and thus plenty of character and distinction. Elsewhere in the New World, South Africa had a very good year in 2009, and wineries across the cape of the African continent are proclaiming it a truly great vintage.
In most of Europe, fine weather and punctual ripening periods produced some excellent wines, with many of the best coming out of France's Bordeaux and the surrounding regions. Merlot had an exceptionally good year in France, and wineries are proclaiming that the 2009 Merlot harvest was one of the best in living memory. Indeed, across most of France, ripening was relatively even, and red wine grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Syrah and others were reportedly highly characterful, with plenty of the required tannin levels with which to make high quality wines. Italy, too, had a very good 2009. Piedmont reported extremely favorable conditions throughout 2009, and their signature Nebbiolo grapes were more or less perfect when harvested, having benefited from the slight drop in temperature at the end of their ripening period. Veneto, too, had an enviable year, producing superb Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay wines in 2009.

Varietal: Carmenere

The deep blue colored grapes of the Carmenere varietal have their origins in France, where they are still listed as one of the elite grape varietals allowed by French law for the use in Bordeaux wines, generally regarded to be the finest in the world. However, the use of Carmenere grapes in France has been dwindling for many decades now, and it has been in several New World countries where they have seen their renaissance. Although still mostly used as a blending grape, single variety Carmenere wines are greatly sought after as a result of their deep, complex aromas, stunning blood red color and the fact that the grapes, when processed at optimum ripeness, carry some fascinating flavors, including chocolate, tobacco, and spicy cherry notes.

Region: Veneto

Veneto's wine are much loved around the world for their strength of character, and the region itself is an interesting one from a viticultural perspective. Sheltered by the Alps, Veneto is protected by the harsh central European climate, making it possible to grow a wide range of high quality grape varietals, which wineries manage to do to great effect. This beautiful corner of north-eastern Italy has over ninety thousand hectares under vine, with over a third of this area having the prestigious DOC rating awarded to it by the Italian government. Veneto is Italy's second largest producer of wines, and their dedication to quality and innovation brings about a fantastic range of wine styles, enjoyed around the world for their flavors, aromas and distinctive character.

Country: Italy

For several decades in the mid to late twentieth century, Italy's reputation for quality wines took a fairly serious blow. This was brought about partly due to lack of regulation in certain regions, and too much regulation in others. This led to several wineries in the beautiful and highly fertile region of Tuscany making the bold move to work outside of the law, which they saw as responsible for the drop in quality in Tuscan wines. They believed that they had the expertise and the generations of experience necessary with which to make truly excellent, world class wines, and set about doing just that. These 'Super Tuscans', as they came to be known, quickly inspired the rest of Italy to improve their produce, and now, Italian wine producers in the twenty-first century are widely recognised to be amongst the best in the world. Regulation and law began to change, and wine drinkers across the globe woke up to the outstanding wines coming out of Italy, which are continuing to improve and impress to this day.